Just in case anyone misses it, I just posted this to the blog about answers for craft show questions - this one is just one in an 8 part series:
Cool! Where do you buy your supplies!?Answer You Might Want to Give: "Sorry, no. I’m not telling you where I buy my stuff so you can go copy all of my best ideas. Learn how to do it like I did it – from scratch with hard work and effort put into it. Good luck."
Or "Can you keep a secret?" (they nod) "Well, so can I."
Being diplomatic at all times is a good business skill to learn and there's no better time than right now. Here are some different answers for this pesky question based on your comfort level with freely sharing your knowledge. At Otion, one of our Core Values is that we freely share information. I generally divulge everything I can without jeopardizing our core business. Where you fall on this scale (stony silence to verbal fountains) determines how friendly and encouraging you'll want to be with this answer.
Nice Freely Sharing Knowledge Answer: "I am so flattered that you like my XYZ (scent, color, mold). I get it at Bramble Berry Soapmaking Supplies. Their web site is
www.brambleberry.com and their phone number is 1-87-SOAP-STUFF. Soapmaking is so fun and easy! I hope you like it as much as I do!"
Less Sharing but Still Nice Answer: "I am so flattered that you like my XYZ (scent, color, mold). I’d prefer not to share my sources for my supplies but I’m happy to give you some good starting places for you to search around so you can find a (scent, color, mold) that’s unique to you and really appeals to your sense of style."
"When I started out, I actually bought all of my molds and stuff at Michael’s craft store. You could get a basic starter kit there or you can always go online and Google “Soapmaking Suppliesâ€